Release Manager, Product Development

Why join Nextech?   We are a leader in specialty healthcare technology solutions.   We’re committed to hiring and retaining talent, which is why we invest in our employees through competitive pay, a generous bonus structure, great healthcare, a comprehensive wellness program, and many other benefits.   If you are a software engineer, finance or accounting professional, customer support specialist, or a business development expert with a passion for healthcare technology (just to name a few), we want to hear from you.   We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.  All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics are encouraged to apply. If you are a candidate in need of assistance or an accommodation in the application process, please contact talent@nextech.com. Job Summary The Release Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the successful planning, coordination, and delivery of software releases across the Product Development organization. This role serves as the central point of accountability for release execution, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, QA, and DevOps teams to deliver high‑quality, reliable software on predictable timelines.   The ideal candidate brings strong experience in SaaS‑based product development environments, applies Agile best practices, and excels at orchestrating cross‑functional teams through complex release cycles. Health technology experience is strongly preferred, given the importance of quality, reliability, and compliance in our products.   All activities must be in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity laws, HIPAA, ERISA, and other regulations, as appropriate. n Essential Functions: Release Planning & Scheduling Own and maintain release calendars across product development portfolio. Define release scope, milestones, dependencies, and delivery timelines. Coordinate planning across development, testing, and deployment phases. Cross‑Functional Coordination & Communication Act as the primary point of contact for release execution across Product, Engineering, QA, and DevOps. Facilitate release readiness reviews, go/no‑go decisions, and stakeholder communications. Ensure alignment on expectations, risks, and delivery commitments. Quality Assurance (QA) Oversight Ensure testing standards, acceptance criteria, and quality gates are consistently applied. Confirm release documentation and approvals are complete. Deployment Management Manage production deployments schedules, including coordination of release windows and sequencing. Ensure rollback and contingency plans are defined and tested. Support incident response and resolution during release activities as needed. Risk Management Identify, track, and mitigate risks that could impact release timelines or quality. Proactively work with stakeholders to resolve issues and escalate blockers as appropriate. Drive continuous improvement of release processes to reduce risk over time. CI/CD Optimization Partner with DevOps on release automation practices and ensure effective use of CI/CD pipelines. Partner with DevOps to improve reliability, repeatability, and speed of deployments. Promote best practices for feature flagging and controlled rollouts (e.g., LaunchDarkly). Early Adopter Program Management & Scaling Partner with Product, Engineering, Client Success, and GTM teams to support the execution of early adopter and limited‑release programs. Coordinate release planning, feature enablement, and deployment sequencing for early adopter cohorts. Ensure controlled rollout practices are followed, including feature flagging, access management, and rollback readiness. Support the transition of features from early adopter programs into broader general availability (GA) releases. Help define and improve scalable processes, tooling, and governance to support growth of early adopter programs without increasing release risk. Contribute to continuous improvement of early access frameworks to balance speed, quality, and client experience. Post-Release Monitoring & Improvement Monitor post‑release performance and stability. Contribute to ongoing improvements in release management, tooling, and governance. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business or a related field. Proven experience working in Product Development environments. Experience supporting SaaS‑based software products. Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and modern SDLC practices. Hands‑on experience using Jira for planning, tracking, and release coordination. Solid understanding of CI/CD concepts and DevOps collaboration models. Excellent communication, project management, and organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate across technical and non‑technical teams. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in health technology or regulated software environments. Prior ownership of release management for multi‑team or multi‑product portfolios. Experience with feature flag and release management tools (e.g., LaunchDarkly). Demonstrated ability to lead teams through high‑pressure deployment schedules. Strong problem‑solving skills with a proactive, solutions‑oriented mindset. Experience using and enabling agentic AI capabilities within the Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC), including AI‑assisted planning, testing, release validation, monitoring, or operational workflows. Familiarity with applying AI‑driven automation to improve release quality, reduce manual effort, accelerate feedback loops, and support scalable delivery practices. Working Environment/Physical Demands100% Remote Activities require a significant amount of work in front of a computer nTotal Rewards:  Generous annual bonus opportunity 401(k) with Employer Match Flexible Time Off: take time off when you need it without worrying about available hours 11 paid holidays  Your Day Your Way - Celebrate a day of cultural or social significance to you Insurance: Choice of Medical, Dental, and Vision plans Health Savings Account with employer match Flexible Spending Account 100% Company-Paid Parental leave (After 6 months with the company) 100% Company-Paid Life Insurance and Short/Long Term Disability Insurance Nextech Luminary Peer Recognition Program Wellness Program including discounts on medical premiums Employee Assistance Program with free counseling sessions available Corporate Discounts on Retail, Travel, and Entertainment Apply To This Job